


of treasures, explorations, and brotherly betrayal

by AshAndSnow



Series: Bad prompt mashups [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bittersweet Ending, Brothers, Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Exploring, Happy Ending, M/M, Running Away Together, Secret Relationship, Sort Of, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28285626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshAndSnow/pseuds/AshAndSnow
Summary: Anthony and Prince Loki have more in common than outsiders might think. Only problem? Anthony and Prince Thor do not get along. The solution? Keep their affair a secret.It works for a while, until it doesn’t, and things proceed to take a sharp turn for our lovers in question.(Prompts:1. You’re in love with your brother’s nemesis.2. A treasure hunter finds a buried tomb.)
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Bad prompt mashups [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987786
Comments: 18
Kudos: 72





	of treasures, explorations, and brotherly betrayal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rabentochter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/gifts).



> A little something something for Sesil for Christmas. Happy holidays to you, my dear!

i.

There are two things you should know about Loki Odinson.

Number one: He likes to go exploring.

He’s a curious soul, and life as the second prince of Asgard, as son of Odin, often makes him yearn for time away, to himself. Factors that lend themselves perfectly to such a hobby.

And number two: Loki’s brother, Thor, absolutely despises one Anthony Howardson.

You might wonder, dear reader: narrator, why should I know this about Loki? Is this not a fact about Thor?

  
Loki is not generally a big fiend for loyalty. But he’s always had a special bond with Thor, the two of them against the world. And Loki knows that this means Anthony is off limits. He is blacklisted. Loki should never speak to him.

Your next question might be this: narrator, why must I know these things?

Because they explain exactly how Loki got into the predicament he is currently in.

He’d decided to go exploring, a day like so many others. A decision that has led him to a remarkable corner of the forest. It’s generally a beautiful place, this forest, but this particular clearing is unlike anything Loki has ever seen before. The tree trunks are covered in a strange kind of ivy, the variegation an odd kind of metallic and luminous.

And just as Loki is focused on examining this strange, new, intriguing plant, leaves crunch behind him. He whirls, and his eyes land on, you perhaps guessed it, one Anthony Stark.

And this. This is where the trouble starts.

Because Loki should be scolding him, or picking a fight. He should be scaring him off and trying to do _something_.

And yet, he doesn’t.

Anthony’s in front of him, but he’s smiling, a bit too innocent to be entirely truthful (yet not enough to be really suspicious), hands held up in a gesture of surrender.

”Howardson,” Loki greets, a bit wary.

Anthony’s smile widens into a grin. ”My prince,” he says. ”My apologies. I had no idea you would be out here.” He nods to the plants Loki’d just then been preoccupied with. ”Interested in the Star Ivy?”  
  
Loki raises a brow. He shouldn’t be talking to this man, but the idea that he may know something about this plant is enough to garner his attention. ”You know of these?”

”I do,” Anthony confirms. ”I use them plenty for my work. Would you care to learn?”

The question makes Loki bristle for a second, but he cannot deny that Anthony has always been smart, and he does want to learn. And whatever beef Thor has with Anthony, surely Loki does not have to carry it as his own at any and all times.

Right?

Loki hesitates, but then relents. ”Alright. Yes, I would.”  
  
And so they spend an afternoon, trading knowledge about plants – sometimes, they overlap, but there are things Anthony knows that Loki does not, just as there are things for Anthony to learn from Loki.

By the time the sun is setting, Anthony takes a step back. ”I should be returning. But I would like to do this again some time.”

Against his better judgment, Loki agrees.

”I would like that too.”

It becomes the start of something wonderful.

ii.

Though Anthony and Loki start to regularly enjoy each other’s company, it has to remain a secret.

It’s not that Loki is ashamed of what he’s doing. Not really. It is, in theory, a fairly innocent setup. He’s simply spending time with a like-minded individual, exploring new places, learning from each other. They make a good team, and they learn so much from and with each other, not to mention the treasures they discover together.

On paper, there is nothing wrong with what is going on, yet they both know better than to speak about it or acknowledge it around others.

In the beginning, it’s not so bad, even. It’s thrilling, really, doing something they shouldn’t without doing something truly wrong.

But Loki does slowly start to feel a knot form and wind tight in his stomach. Because it’s one thing to keep a friend secret. It’s entirely another to do so when his feelings grow more romantic.

It starts slowly. Noticing the flex of a bicep while they’re hard at work. Holding their gazes a little too long for it to be entirely natural. Hands brushing, and finally, linking.

Anthony’s perfect for Loki. He’s sharp and witty, matches Loki step for step, and – there’s no denying it – he’s easily the most handsome man Loki’s ever laid eyes on.

(What? You thought Loki’d be into the classic, Aesir beauty standard of blonde, massive, and ready to fight at a moment’s notice? Please. Growing up with the archetype of that as a brother is the biggest turn off you can imagine.)

And to Loki’s great delight and deep dread, he is never really in doubt that Anthony feels the same way.

”We shouldn’t be doing this,” Loki says. It’s a perfect, sunny afternoon, and the two of them are lounging in the shade of an old tree, eating wild silverberries and relaxing after many hours of mapping out a nearby cave.

Anthony shrugs. ”I don’t really care,” he says, blunt as ever. It’s one of Loki’s favourite things about him, even when he hates it.

Loki turns, feeling a few strands of his hairs getting briefly caught on the bark of the tree, tugging a bit as he moves and pulls them free. ”Thor would kill you if he knew.”  
  
Anthony turns his head to meet his gaze head on. ”I don’t care.”

”If we get---” Loki starts to say, but Anthony cuts him off with their very first kiss. It’s sticky with berry juice, as are the hands that wind themselves in Loki’s hair and Anthony’s shirt. It sends tingles down Loki’s spine, and it’s sweet and wonderful and terrifying, all at once.

  
Loki never voices concerns about their relationship again. Real as they might be, they’re not about to deter either of them from doing what they’re doing anyway.

iii.

Years pass like this.

Naturally, Loki and Anthony grow much closer. Loki doesn’t even hesitate to classify Anthony as the love of his life. At least, not to himself, and not to Anthony.

But the closer Anthony and Loki get, the harder it gets to act like nothing is amiss. And Thor is perhaps not as bright as his brother, but Loki knows that this does not mean Thor is a complete moron.

”He’s asking more questions,” Loki informs Anthony one night, cuddled up in a tent. They’ve gone off world for a few days, but neither feel inclined to garner attention and go to an inn. So, a tent it is, close to the ruins they’re here to explore.

”Like what?”

”He wants to know everything. Where I’m going. Who I’m seeing. What I’m doing. Why I’m insisting on going alone.” Anthony snorts a bit, but Loki ignores it. ”He is not contenting himself with those endless inquiries either. He is trying to catch me in the act. He barges into my chambers. He follows me, or has me followed. He tries to dissuade me from going places by convincing me to come with him instead.”

”As if he could ever be smart enough to catch us.”

”Somehow, I feel like saying that is inviting trouble to find us.”  
  
Loki’s wry tone brings Anthony to bark out a surprised laugh. ”Ha! Alright, okay, my words have forever cursed us, he will catch us sooner than later. I guess we better plan our escape, then.”

”What ’we’? You’re the one he hates, you’re the one he’s going to kill.”

”First of all, rude. Your partner is getting killed by your brother in this scenario, if you love me, you’re in it with me. And second, you think Thor’ll spare you? You, who lied to him for years and betrayed his loyalty and trust by sleeping with the enemy? You’re going down with me, pal.”

With a sigh, Loki nuzzles Anthony’s cheek and buries his face in the crook of his neck. ”I guess we must run away, then. I hear Midgard is a good place to hide.”

Anthony smiles. Kisses Loki’s forehead. ”Midgard it is.”  
  


They both know that, tempting as it is to run, they could never.

iv.

Years more pass like this. And though Thor remains suspicious, they do not get caught. And eventually they start to relax more, certain that they can keep this up if they’re consistent in their measures to keep things secret.

Of course they shouldn’t have trusted that false sense of security.

It starts off like any other time Anthony and Loki have gone exploring. They’re on Vanaheim, near an abandoned castle. Their curiosity has taken them down a nearby cave, and Loki’s got his back to his lover, in the midst of examining a drawing on the rock wall, when Anthony lets out an exuberant whoop.

Spinning, Loki eyes Anthony expectantly. ”What did you find?”

Anthony’s all grins and bright eyes as he holds up a cup. ”The inscription makes it clear that this belonged to King Alvar.”

Loki’s jaw drops. ” _The_ King Alvar?”

”The very same,” Anthony confirms, offering up the cup for Loki to take. He does, long, pale fingers wrapping around the stem, holding it with reverence as he inspects it.  
  
”This is… This is marvellous,” he breathes. ”This is our best find yet.” He doesn’t mean to take credit for this particular cup, but he knows Anthony will not take offense. They’re in this together, have been for years. Loki’s accomplishments in this are every bit as much Anthony’s, just as Loki’s aware that Anthony feels the same way about his explorations. It does not matter who picked up the cup. Not when they shared the burden of getting to this point in equal measure.

”We did it, my darling,” Anthony grins, and he pulls Loki in for a kiss. For the moment, everything is perfect.

Except this wonderful, incredible, magnificent moment is broken when someone blocks the light from the entrance and practically growls at them. ”I knew it!”

It’s enough to make them yank apart, hackles instinctually rising, bodies readying for a fight. And not only because of the pure anger brewing in that aggressive tone of voice.

It’s because Thor’s the one speaking.

He’s fuming, it’s easy to see, even in the now dimmed lighting of the cave. Face red with anger, sweat beading at his hairline, a fine tremble to his shoulders. A beast, ready to let loose.

”Thor,” Loki attempts, softly, gently, like when they were children. Hoping to appeal to some elusive shred of common sense, hidden somewhere deep within his brother’s mind, or, better yet, to the sense of love and loyalty that once existed between them.

It doesn’t work.

Thor’s already starting to walk towards Anthony. ”Shut up, Loki. I will deal with you after,” he declares.

After what, Loki wants to ask. Not because he wants to know the answer, oh no. He knows what’s coming. Because he wants Thor to speak it aloud, force him to face what he’s about to do.

”Thor! Stop, and think!”

But as always, Thor’s not one for reasoning. He doesn’t even respond verbally. He just grunts, then grabs Anthony by the throat, Lifts him, Slams him against the wall.

”You will pay for this, Howardson,” Thor thunders. ”You will pay for the mess you have made within my family.”

”Funny,” Anthony rasps. Typical. He’s fast going blue in the face, gasping for air, desperately grappling with Thor’s wrists in a futile effort to remove those big bear hands from his throat. ”I think you’re the one currently making the mess.”

”Silence! That poisonous tongue of yours has been a pain for too long. No longer shall you spread your venom and cause good things to wither!”

”I’m not---you’re---the one---” Anthony’s wasting breath. He’s losing this battle, and rapidly so.

”Finally, I will---”

But before Thor can finish, a _CLANG_ rings out in the cave, and time slows down.

Thor’s eyes go unfocused.

Thor’s grip goes slack.

Thor’s knees go weak.

Thor starts to slump.

Thor falls.

  
Thor falls.

Thor falls.

Thor lands on the ground, _thump_ , followed by the gentler thuds of first Anthony’s feet, then his knees, and finally his hands.

Behind Thor, Loki stands, cup raised high, gleaming red at the rim.

They’re so, so screwed.

”What have you done,” Anthony gasps, but he doesn’t fight as Loki rushes to his side, helps him up, checks him for injuries, heals bruises before they can start to form.

”We have to go,” Loki breathes. It is and isn’t an answer. Because they both know that whatever comes next, they cannot return to Asgard and face the outing of their relationship, let alone the fact that Loki assaulted his brother - _the Crown Prince!_ -without turning everything in their lives upside down, irrevocably changing everything for the worse. Jail would be considered a gentle punishment for this.

They leave the cup behind as they go. There’s no time to do anything but gather their personal belongings and get ready to fucking go.

Before they leave, Loki makes a point of blocking the entrance to the cave; not enough to trap Thor completely, but enough to delay his escape once he wakes up.

Less than five minutes after Thor hit the ground, Loki and Anthony are joining hands.

”Ready?” Loki asks.

Anthony nods. ”Ready.”  
  
Loki squeezes Anthony’s hand. ”I love you.”  
  


Anthony squeezes back. ”I love you.”

Ghosts of smiles touch their lips. Nervous, of course, jittery with anxiety. But smiles nonetheless, touched just as much by the thrill of finally doing what they’ve dreamed of for so long.

Then, a flash of light spirits them away.

v.

Eventually, Thor does wake up, manage to escape, and return home. But by the time he does, Loki and Anthony are both long gone.

Of course the aftermath is not so easily smoothed over in Asgard. Once Thor returns to the castle he calls home, he does not hesitate to relay the full story to Odin (with his own personal spin on it for flavour, naturally). And while it’s not illegal to have a secret relationship (no matter what opinions Odin might have about his youngest son doing so), assault (of the Crown Prince, no less) is a whole other story entirely.

Anthony and Loki, however, are blissfully unaware of the specifics.

”Here?” Anthony asks, looking at Loki expectantly.

Loki, for his part, is examing their surroundings with a critical eye. They’ve found a clearing in a forest on Midgard, close to a town, and right on the edge of a small lake. It’s beautiful, Loki has to admit.

”I think,” he says, after mulling it over for a few more moments, ”that this would be a lovely place to settle down with you.”  
  


Anthony’s grin rivals the sun.

And so they do.

vi.

At first, their accomodations are rather sparse, as they are living out of their tent. But with time, they erect a cabin for them to live in. They plant a garden. They get a few animals – a cow, a goat, a few horses, a couple of chickens, a cat, and a dog. Their house fills with books and trinkets and art and, eventually, children.

They’re aware that they did not make a neat, clean break when they escaped. That should anyone from Asgard ever find them, they’re done. And at first, that does worry them both. They’re anxious about potentially getting caught, and they layer their clearing generously with protective spells.

But nobody ever comes. And with time, they learn to relax, to be happy.

vii.

A hundred years later, they’re sitting side by side on their porch, overlooking the lake.

”Do you ever regret it?” Anthony asks.

Loki doesn’t have to prod at the question to figure out what it means. A hundred years later, and being forced to make the choice between his brother and his lover is still one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.

”No,” he says anyway. And he means it. ”I’d choose you a thousand times over.”

Anthony’s expression goes soft, with a dull edge of hurt to it. Loki knows what it means; knows that Anthony does not regret what they did either, but often feels the burden of what Loki had to give up to be with him.

Loki doesn’t hesitate. ”Don’t even think it,” he admonishes.

”I love you,” Anthony says. ”And I know you love me. I just wish---”

Loki cuts him off with a kiss. Anthony doesn’t protest; he just sighs and gives in, the kiss it’s own kind of exchange.

”I chose you,” Loki reminds him once they part. ”Whatever that entails. Whatever may come, I will always choose you.”

Finally, Anthony smiles.


End file.
